Esther said. “If I stay single, my father won’t approve of Rachel’s marriage. It’s Old Testament thinking, but he won’t change.”
“And you can’t move him?”
“Faith moves mountains, but not my father. He’s as staunch as Mount Everest. He won’t budge.”
Ian had a difficult time understanding how someone could cling to that belief in contemporary society. Then a question rushed through his head. Had her father twisted the Scriptures to manipulate thesituation? If he wanted to see her married, her father might do just that.
In the business world, Ian had known many people who took the rules and bent them to their own needs. No reason why someone couldn’t do the same with the Bible. He’d probably done it himself.
“Why not elope?” Ian asked as the impossibility struck him.
“How can we honor our father and go against his wishes?”
Stymied, Ian nodded. Looking at her expression, he knew Esther felt the same. The problem seemed insurmountable. “I don’t have an answer. What I do know is you obviously can’t fall in love at your sister’s whim.”
“You got it. Now, try to explain that to Rachel.” As if captured by another new thought, her head snapped upward. “And it’s not totally Rachel. I’m sure it’s Jeff, too. He’s tired of waiting. She can’t even wear the ring he bought her…at least, not around Dad.”
“You’ve got the dynamic duo plotting against you, and that’s why you don’t want to come to the party. I understand.”
“Right, but I look at Rachel’s tears, and…” Her voice faded as she brushed her finger across her eyes. “I don’t have it in my heart to say no.”
“Look, Esther.” He paused, monitoring how he would tell her the plan generating in his mind. “I’ll be there, and maybe I can help thwart Rachel’s matchmaking.”
“How can you do anything?” She leaned forward, her face a mixture of disbelief and hopefulness.
“If I’m hanging around you, the other guys will have the good sense to steer clear.”
“But…”
The waiter’s appearance halted her thought, and Ian took advantage of the situation. “Let’s see how it goes. Okay? It might work.”
With the waiter within earshot, Esther only nodded in agreement.
Ian dragged in a calming breath. Good fortune—maybe the Lord—had given him a prime opportunity. He bowed his head, thanking God for the food and for the unexpected opportunity.
Chapter Six
E sther stepped out of Jeff’s car and looked up at the Bay Breeze penthouse. She’d never been inside the private rooms of the resort. As she followed Rachel and Jeff into the hotel, she realized she’d allowed that detail to pacify her objection to coming along. Being here at all sat heavily on her spirit.
No matter how she dealt with it, even Ian’s offer to keep her company didn’t make her happy about attending the Fourth of July celebration. Besides the matchmaking situation, she felt uncomfortable, knowing she really didn’t belong with this group. She wasn’t a politician, a big business exec, or a Bay Breeze employee. Her claim to fame was Jeff’s desire to marry her sister. That was it.
Entering through the employees’ entrance, Esther stood with her companions and waited for the private penthouse elevator. From her understanding, Philip Somerville lived in the rooms on the top floor of the resort.
The doors slid open and she stepped inside, catching a whiff of Rachel’s perfume. Esther rarely wore a fragrance, but tonight she’d splashed on the one cologne she liked—a unique blend of flowers and herbs a library visitor had given her as a gift from the Isle of Capri.
Esther had been embarrassed that the woman had rewarded her for doing her job. All she’d done was pull together travel information about Italy for the woman. The subtle aroma drifted from Esther’s warmed skin and made her think of palm trees, blue water and sun-kissed sand.
When the elevator doors opened, Esther stepped into an
“And you can’t move him?”
“Faith moves mountains, but not my father. He’s as staunch as Mount Everest. He won’t budge.”
Ian had a difficult time understanding how someone could cling to that belief in contemporary society. Then a question rushed through his head. Had her father twisted the Scriptures to manipulate thesituation? If he wanted to see her married, her father might do just that.
In the business world, Ian had known many people who took the rules and bent them to their own needs. No reason why someone couldn’t do the same with the Bible. He’d probably done it himself.
“Why not elope?” Ian asked as the impossibility struck him.
“How can we honor our father and go against his wishes?”
Stymied, Ian nodded. Looking at her expression, he knew Esther felt the same. The problem seemed insurmountable. “I don’t have an answer. What I do know is you obviously can’t fall in love at your sister’s whim.”
“You got it. Now, try to explain that to Rachel.” As if captured by another new thought, her head snapped upward. “And it’s not totally Rachel. I’m sure it’s Jeff, too. He’s tired of waiting. She can’t even wear the ring he bought her…at least, not around Dad.”
“You’ve got the dynamic duo plotting against you, and that’s why you don’t want to come to the party. I understand.”
“Right, but I look at Rachel’s tears, and…” Her voice faded as she brushed her finger across her eyes. “I don’t have it in my heart to say no.”
“Look, Esther.” He paused, monitoring how he would tell her the plan generating in his mind. “I’ll be there, and maybe I can help thwart Rachel’s matchmaking.”
“How can you do anything?” She leaned forward, her face a mixture of disbelief and hopefulness.
“If I’m hanging around you, the other guys will have the good sense to steer clear.”
“But…”
The waiter’s appearance halted her thought, and Ian took advantage of the situation. “Let’s see how it goes. Okay? It might work.”
With the waiter within earshot, Esther only nodded in agreement.
Ian dragged in a calming breath. Good fortune—maybe the Lord—had given him a prime opportunity. He bowed his head, thanking God for the food and for the unexpected opportunity.
Chapter Six
E sther stepped out of Jeff’s car and looked up at the Bay Breeze penthouse. She’d never been inside the private rooms of the resort. As she followed Rachel and Jeff into the hotel, she realized she’d allowed that detail to pacify her objection to coming along. Being here at all sat heavily on her spirit.
No matter how she dealt with it, even Ian’s offer to keep her company didn’t make her happy about attending the Fourth of July celebration. Besides the matchmaking situation, she felt uncomfortable, knowing she really didn’t belong with this group. She wasn’t a politician, a big business exec, or a Bay Breeze employee. Her claim to fame was Jeff’s desire to marry her sister. That was it.
Entering through the employees’ entrance, Esther stood with her companions and waited for the private penthouse elevator. From her understanding, Philip Somerville lived in the rooms on the top floor of the resort.
The doors slid open and she stepped inside, catching a whiff of Rachel’s perfume. Esther rarely wore a fragrance, but tonight she’d splashed on the one cologne she liked—a unique blend of flowers and herbs a library visitor had given her as a gift from the Isle of Capri.
Esther had been embarrassed that the woman had rewarded her for doing her job. All she’d done was pull together travel information about Italy for the woman. The subtle aroma drifted from Esther’s warmed skin and made her think of palm trees, blue water and sun-kissed sand.
When the elevator doors opened, Esther stepped into an
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